hen

noun

ˈhen 

1

a

: a female chicken especially over a year old

broadly : a female bird

b

: the female of various mostly aquatic animals (such as lobsters or fish)

2

: woman

especially : a fussy middle-aged woman

Examples of hen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is a kitchen garden with hens that supply the hotel’s Michelin-starred Poggio Rosso restaurant and the less formal Osteria del Grigio that draws locals for aperitivo and al fresco dining under grape leaves. —Valentina Di Donato, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

By the numbers: Taking care of hens instead of buying eggs at the store isn't really a cost-saving strategy, according to Jenn Tompkins, co-owner of the backyard chickens company Rent the Chicken, which rents in Council Bluffs. —Linh Ta, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025

There used to be 3,000 hens on Kakadoodle Farm — scratching, pecking, following the farmworkers around. —Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2025

Owners can look out for signs their hens are ready to hatch eggs of their own, according to poultry raising equipment experts Hatching Time. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English henn; akin to Old English hana rooster — more at chant

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hen

• Cornish game hen
• Cornish hen
• game hen
• hazel hen
• heath hen
• hen and chickens
• hen night
• hen of the wood
• hen of the woods
• hen party
• hen track
• marsh hen
• mother hen
• Rock Cornish game hen
• Rock Cornish hen
• tappit hen
• water hen

Rhymes for hen

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen
• sten

Kids Definition

hen

noun

ˈhen 

1

: a female chicken especially over a year old

2

: a female of any bird